Evening Light, Holland State Park

Every now and then one picks a spot on the map, sets out for that destination and ultimately finds exactly what they had hoped for. Along Lake Michigan's eastern shore lies the small town of Holland, Michigan. The town of Holland is separated almost right down the middle by Lake Macatawa, and closer to the lake shore, Macatawa Bay.

Holland State Park sits at the edge of the shore on the north side of Holland. At the very tip of the park is a huge beach and directly across the inlet to the bay sits Big Red, one of Holland's most famous landmarks. I found Big Red bathed in late evening sunlight with a cool breeze and low eighty temps. Not only did I photograph Big Ben from this locale, but also from across the bay looking north. I will share those images soon.

As I sat on the edge of the sidewalk and watched the sun fall slowly toward the horizon, I chatted with two local Holland residents, a doctor and nurse, who were husband and wife. I snapped photos as I chatted with them and they recommended I visit Olive Shores just north of Holland if time allowed. Off in the distance along the beach someone began feeding the Seagulls. Next thing I knew my sunset images captured a few of the birds flying around attempting to grab a bite to eat.

My travels to Lake Michigan were just what I needed to get away from the every day. I had read that Lake Michigan's beach towns were beautiful, and yet, still unspoiled from major tourism. That is exactly what I discovered. I visited quite a few of the small beach towns along Lake Michigan's shore, all within close proximity to the next. I chose to set up residence in Holland, because it was centrally located. Within twenty or thirty minutes, you could be at any one of the beach towns, and to make it even better, along the drive you could stop for fresh picked blueberries or pick your own at the blueberry farms situated near the shore.

Later in the week I drove farther north to Traverse City to spend a few days. During the day I would trek to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to visit the dunes and stop in at the small towns there such as Empire, Glen Arbor and Leland. Each town had its own special charms, but I especially loved Leland with its old historic 'Fishtown'. Throughout the entire area set lakes of various sizes and shapes. The largest, Glen Lake, was my favorite with its breathtaking aquamarines and blues glistening in the sun. I hope your week was good and you are having a great weekend. Back soon with more images from my travels. ENJOY!